Western’s track and field team’s successes are well known throughout the state. What isn’t as widely known is the condition of the track they practice on, which until recently was the worst in the district, according to coach Cassidy Girvin. That all changed this year when the track received a much needed complete resurfacing, for the first time in years. The Western Hemisphere spoke with members of the track community to find out more about the impact of this renovation.
Cassidy Girvin has been coaching Western track for nearly 16 years, and is hopeful this could be the beginning of a new era for athletics at WAHS. Previous repairs have been disappointingly inadequate. “We had air pockets that were filled with water, almost immediately.” Girvin said. “Within a year of [the last resurfacing] we were already having safety issues.” These safety concerns restricted practice options available to the team greatly. Large portions of the track were unusable: “We couldn’t practice in lanes one, two, or three, because there were spots of just bare asphalt.” Girvin is optimistic that the new track will lead to a reduction in stress injuries among Western runners, which he believes the poor track condition contributed to. With a new, safer track, he hopes Western will be able to host track and field events in the near future.
Spencer Envall is a junior who runs cross country and track. He too is excited about the prospect of a revamped practice area, saying, “It’s beautiful, it used to have potholes and you could see the asphalt.” Envall has personal experience with multiple running injuries, some of which he blames the poor condition of the track for. “I broke my tibia,” Envall said. “My other teammate broke his foot, another guy got a stress fracture in his hip, it’s been an issue.” With the new repairs complete, he is hoping for an injury-free season for him and his team.
Western Athletic Director, Dan Bledsoe was also pleased with the new track facilities. He believes the first full renovation in twelve years will expand the school’s capacity for track events. Track resurfacing requires dry conditions with temperatures of at least 70 degrees, which led to several delays during the process. Despite this, Western “will hold a quad meeting in the spring for the district, and then the district championship meet.” Bledsoe believes that these renovations will propel the Western track program.
